The most important achievements

Projects

  • Almost 100 projects have been or are in the process of being completed.
  • We were the first non-governmental organisation to win funding for a medium-sized project for the protection of grasslands from the Global Environment Facility, operating under the World Bank.

Applied Ecological research

  • In association with local farmers, over 140 ha of floodplain meadows have been restored that had formerly been used as arable land on the Morava floodplain.
  • Within the scope of grassland and peatland mapping projects, more than 16,000 localities have been drawn up, representing the largest database of non-forest habitats in Slovakia; more than 90 % of the total area of grasslands in Slovakia has been mapped.
  • A methodology for the identification of Natura 2000 sites was prepared.
  • In collaboration with experts from the State Nature Conservancy of the Slovak Republic a methodology for management plans of Natura 2000 sites was prepared.
  • Our Grassland Information System served as the basis for the implementation of grassland agro-environmental scheme within Rural Development Plan for period 2004 - 2006. It has significantly contributed to conservation of grassland biodiversity. More than 120,000 hectares of semi-natural and natural grasslands of 604 farms from the whole Slovakia have been certified so far.
  • In 2006 a method for development of the Carpathian Biodiversity Information System (e.g. GIS, database structure, criteria for the data to be added) was prepared. It is a component of the programme aiming to develop a Carpathian Ecological Network, supported by Dutch government.

Environmental education and public awareness

  • In 1999 - 2006, the Eco-centre was opened in Devin. The Ecocentre has conducted educational programmes for schools including kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, universities. It was the only NGO operating Ecocentre in Slovakia. During this period, around 5,000 children from kindergartens, 28,500 pupils from primary schools and 2,460 students from secondary school participated in programmes at the Ecocentre. The programmes continue also after closing down the Eco-centre operation in Devin.
  • Almost 1,700 primary school teachers have participated in a series of thematic seminars on the possibilities for using our 'World of Wetlands', 'World of Grasslands', 'World of Peatlands' and 'World of Woodlands' handbooks for primary school teachers.
  • All handbooks received the Certificate of the Ministry of Education (MoE). This certification represents a recommendation by the MoE that the handbooks are used as complementary teaching material in natural science subjects in primary schools. More than 2,500 handbooks have been distributed so far.
  • From 1996 to 2004 in co-operation with different organisations and local communities the longest nature trail (educational path) in Slovakia was built. It stretches 79 km along the Morava River and contains 39 information boards and 2 entrance boards - under the Devín castle and at the border crossing to Austria in Moravský Sv. Ján - Hohenau.

Environmental Policy

  • In 1999 the Danube Environmental Forum (DEF) - a Danube River Basin-wide platform of non-governmental, non-profit and politically independent environmental organisations was established. Membership currently stands at 170 members from 13 Danube basin countries.
  • We are among founders of Carpathian EcoRegion Initiative (CERI, 1999) - the network of NGOs and expert institutions dedicated to the protection of one of the most important natural areas of Europe, and of the world. It has currently almost 50 members from 7 Carpathian countries. The secretariat is based in Bratislava in DAPHNE.
  • In co-operation with NGO partners from Austria (Distelverein, WWF DCP) and the Czech Republic (Veronica) we significantly contributed towards the formation of a Trilateral Ramsar Platform for the Morava and Dyje floodplains. We received the Ramsar Wetland Conservation Award 2002 in appreciation of our work with the NGO Trinational Initiative.
  • We took part in the implementation of the countryside development program SAPARD in Slovakia and in proposing changes to EU agricultural policies

Publications

  • We have either prepared or published more than 70 publications in total.
  • Among them are: scientific publications, publications for schools (teachers, students), publications for general public and visitors to the protected areas